If you want to know what you should do whilst at university, all it takes is a cursory Google search and you’ll be inundated with think pieces and op-eds telling you the musts for any successful time at university.
Not only can this seem a little daunting to any wide-eyed fresher contemplating the impending upheavals, but there’s also no advice on what to avoid in many of these pieces. It’s important to know these things before you get there – otherwise you’ll end up struggling to think of good times while bad memories swim around your mind.
Don’t fail
One thing to avoid at uni is failing. Seems obvious, but it’s easy to forget that education is the main reason you’re there, especially if you have a course which only has a small amount of contact hours, leaving you with plenty of time to work, join societies or do nothing. Everyone has a different definition of success, so don’t feel tied down by what everyone you know is achieving – you do you. That being said, it’s probably best to aim for at least a 2:2. After all, you are paying £9,000 a year for the privilege of studying , so make it worth your while!
Get the balance right with societies
Another much-feted aspect of university life is the rich variety of societies you can join with a click of the button. Here, it’s vital to strike a middle ground. You want to join at least one society, as it gives you the chance to meet people who aren’t on your course or in your building. You’ll regret it if you don’t. On the flip side, you might want to stop yourself from joining too many. Try and find things you truly care about before you commit to weekly e-mail blasts and a feeling that you’ve spread yourself so thin that you can’t cope with everything.
This advice might not be for everyone, and there are many more things you probably shouldn’t do at university. However, making friends with people in your block and having the ultimate university romance are more matters of taste – it’s undeniable that friendship and education are the main reasons for university, and as long as you can walk away with some close friends and a degree that you can be proud of, then it doesn’t really matter how you got there – no matter what the internet tells you.
Any more advice on what not to do at university? Let us know below.
Photo: Amboo who? / Flickr
Warwick Editor for Career Camels and Deputy Comment Editor for The Boar.
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